Looking to bulk out and take your training regime to the next level? Maybe you want a clean, lean (yet unbelievably stacked with muscle) look – or perhaps you just want to pack on the weight and get as big as you can in a short period of time.

Whatever you need from your bulking cycle, these regimes are not for the feint hearted!

Big & Brutal or Lean & Mean, Your Call…

When it comes to bulking cycles, there are two main choices:

The classic bulk. This is for people who simply want to pile on the kilograms in the shortest time possible. When you bulk out quickly using this method, most of your gains will come from water retention, not muscle or fat. The issue with this is that you’ll lose those gains quickly post cycle. You will look stacked for the duration of the cycle though!

The lean stack. This stack is more about packing on muscle rather than water, for that reason it takes longer than the classic stack to achieve; however, you’ll be able to hold most of the gains made once you stick to your training regime post cycle. The down side, is that you won’t become as large as with the classic bulking cycle.

In both cycles, you’ll be training much harder than you might naturally do. You’ll also have to stick to a strict diet regime and look to pack in as much protein as you can.

That’s not all though, to really push your cycle to the max you’re gonna need to stack those supplements.

Using Steroids for Bulking

Most people when they attempt a bulking cycle, will use either a legal steroid or traditional one. Different weight trainers will have different approaches when using steroids in a bulking cycle. Many will look towards anabolic steroids that pack nutrients into muscle tissue, whilst others will swear by adding testosterone to their stack. Checkout Andrew's pick Top 3 Bulking Steroids

Our advice, would be to start with testosterone first. Then add other supplements to your stack to get the desired bulk cycle effect.

To get you started, we’ll look at the most popular stacks out there.

Anadrol (Anadrole)

Deca Durabolin (Deca Duro)

Dianabol (D-Bal)

Trebolone (Trenbolone)

Testosterone

Everyone knows about Testosterone. It was the very first anabolic steroid to be synthesized into a drug and is a hormone naturally produced in men and women.

There are huge benefits to making testosterone the corner stone of your bulking cycle.

It boosts your recovery time, allowing you to pack in more training cycles per week and spend more time in the gym.

Boosts your red blood cell count, helping you achieve more with each workout.

Block fat accumulation.

Esters

This is the most complex part of testosterone usage for newcomers. Different types of testosterone will come with a different form of Ester and it’s not always easy to pick the right one.

First, let’s take a science lesson! An Ester is basically a measurement for the solubility of testosterone within your bloodstream. As testosterone is taken up by your bloodstream, it effectively “blocks” your body from taking any more – or at the very least slows it down!

When starting out with Testosterone, do your research and figure out exactly which version you need for your cycle. Some testosterone versions, like Enanthate, are often stacked with D-Bol to avoid the aromatising effect of it.

Anadrol

Anadrol is extremely powerful stuff, and probably not something a newcomer should take. It’s widely considered one of the most powerful anabolic out there.

The benefit of adding Anadrol to your cycle, is that it’s almost guaranteed to add a solid 20kg to your weight over a month’s use!

Of course, there are issues with using Anadrol:

It’s highly toxic, you should take advice on PCT (Post Cycle Therapy) plus look to a quality aromatise inhibitor, as you will retain water during the cycle.

It increases cholesterol and can lead to heart disease long term.

Causes acne and hair loss.

Can lead to gynecomastia, which is the formation of breast tissue.

If you’re looking to minimize the risks during your cycle, it’s worth looking at legal steroids such as Crazy Bulks Anadrole.

Deca Durabolin

It’s official known as Deca Durabolin, yet most people outside of bodybuilding know it as Nandrolone. This drug has been in use since the 1960s.

Deca Durabolin works by promoting extra muscle mass and additional strength to push your workouts further. Unlike other steroids, it doesn’t have quite so many side effects and is therefore a popular choice.

Another handy feature of Deca Durabolin, is the extra joint flexibility it gives you. This doesn’t sound helpful for weight lifters, yet Deca Durabolin will help you lift heavier weights more safely – great when bulking out.

Dianabol

Together with Testosterone, D-Bol will form a huge basic for your bulking out efforts. It’s one and only purpose is to add serious bulk and weight.

Most people who take a Dianabol cycle, will add an extra 4 – 6kg to their weight over a 6-week period. Doses are typically given in 5mg, 10mg and 50mg tablets and generally work out cheap in comparison with other steroids. You can inject and take a tablet form of D-Bol, most bodybuilders now shifting towards the tablet form as they work just as well.

Now for the downside, DBol comes with some serious side effects:

It’s toxic and can take its toll on your liver.

Can very easily lead to

You’ll retain a lot of water during the cycle.

Once you’re off the cycle, that bulk will drop off quickly.

Dianabol is recommended to be taken in 4 week bursts. This is due to the sheer toxicity of the steroid. Some people will punch that to 6 weeks but it’s not recommended!

Trenbolone

Trenbolone is a very powerful steroid that works to “harden up” existing muscle and produce an extremely cut physique. It’s more than equal to testosterone in terms of performance and it often used by guys who want a lean and chiselled cycle.

Trenbolone is administered by injection only, and as it’s such a powerful drug it can cause all kinds of side effects.

It’s toxic and should be given with a well worked out PCT regime.

It’s seriously androgenic, and can lead to

Reduces the intensity of workouts, particularly cardio.

Boosts the bad cholesterol in your body, leading to early onset heart disease.

High blood pressure.

Hair loss.

Night sweats.

On a more positive not, Trenbolone doesn’t produce the massive water retention as seen with Dianabol. That’s why it’s such a powerful tool for guys who want to achieve a trim, chiselled and stacked look.

This steroid is your go to stack for the lean bulk cycle.

Need to Bulk Mass?

If you want the best cycle for bulking mass, then you’ll probably want to stack the following:

Dianabol

This was always going to be part of your bulking stack. It’s such a powerful steroid for adding weight it would be stupid not to include it.

D-Bol is always taken in 4-week burst, and will form the basis for your early gains.

Testosterone

In this stack, we’re also adding Testosterone, specifically the Enanthate version. It will help you maintain the huge gains made by the Dianabol over the first few weeks, plus it will also dampen some of the side effects produced by it.

Testosterone is taken for the full 12-week cycle at 350mg.

Deca Durabolin

Deca is going to be your go to guy for lean muscle creation and sculpting that mass as time goes on. Deca Durabolin helps reduce fat, improve strength and dampens some of the water retention issues caused by Dianabol.

Like testosterone, you’ll run the Deca right through the 12-week cycle.

Mid Cycle Support

To help avoid the estrogenic effects of the cycle. It’s good advice to take Aromasin, this drug will stop your body from converting oestrogen and avoid aromatism from occurring.

Other issues that will occur are the fact that Deca and Nandrolone will naturally dampen your sex drive during the course. To stop this from happening you can take Dostinex, a prolactin inhibitor that will help the side effects controlled.

Post Cycle Care

In your post cycle, you’ll want to get your testosterone production back on track. Anabolic steroids tend to suppress your body’s own natural testosterone production.

To do this, you’ll want to take Nolvadex and Clomid for 4 weeks after your cycle to get your body back into its natural rhythm.

Want to Avoid the Side Effects?

While taking steroids has its benefits, there are some serious issues and side effects too. Many bodybuilders simply avoid steroids completely, and we completely understand why!

However, there are modern alternatives out there. Legal steroids are now a common sight and often come with far fewer side effects and health concerns, allowing you to bulk out without worrying about your long-term health.